Interstellar
by AncienneLuna
Summary: A life that had lost its light. He sought comfort in the infinite expanse of space, the stars his only constant in a world always changing around him. All he really wanted was someone he could call his friend. Shooting stars never seemed to work for him before, so why is it that fate now decided to fulfill his greatest wish in the strangest way possible?
1. Unidentified Flying Object

_"D'ya think aliens really exist?"_  
_he stares curiously up at his older brother as they sat together on the side of a grassy hill. The night air was slightly chilly and damp, and he shivered as he regretted leaving his jacket back at home._

_"What kind of question is that? Of course they do," his brother responded, no sarcasm evident in his voice. It was a bit surprising to hear him say it so plainly, as if it were common knowledge. The brother looked down to meet the younger's gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm serious."_

_He was astonished. Had his brother really known this whole time and not told him? It seemed almost cruel to keep such a secret hidden, especially since they were siblings. "Really? How d'ya know?"_

_"Oh, come on! The universe is huge, probably even infinite! What are the chances that Earth is the only planet out there that has life? I'd say it's more unlikely that aliens _don't_ exist," the older continued, his expression turning to one of frustration. Common when he tried to have a somewhat deep conversation with his little brother._

_"Huh... I didn't think'a that! Yeah, aliens totally exist!" he beamed, excited to finally have a valid reason to believe in them. While others laughed and told him they were only fantasy, his older brother actually took him seriously! And his brother was the smartest person he knew! "D'ya think we could meet an alien someday?"_

_"Who knows?" the preteen boy smirked at his sibling's fascination with space. Something it seemed he would never outgrow. "Maybe one day, a space ship will come down on our planet and we'll get to meet them. It could happen any time."_

_"Wow, that's so cool! I'd love to meet some aliens! And their spaceship! And their planet, too! I wonder if they'd look like us, or somethin' super crazy like in the movies?" the boy went off on an excited tangent, many questions racing through his head as he imagined the event. For a child his age, he was clever. He may have come off as an idiot to some, but he was actually quite intelligent. The thoughts that occurred to him were things most kids didn't put much thought into. He was curious and intrigued by nearly every subject that he came across. When asked how he knew so much, he would simply respond with, "I wanna be as smart as my brother someday!"_

_"Ah, it's getting late. We'd better get back home so we don't miss dinner," said brother piped up, looking down at his over-sized watch. It had been a hand-me-down from their late father, and although his wrist was far too small to fit it properly, he never went a day without wearing it. The little one stopped his reverie mid-sentence, turning to face the other with a deflated expression._

_"Aww, d'we haft'a? I'm not even that hungry..." he whined, fake tears beading in the corners of his baby blue eyes._

_"Yes, we 'hafta', we'll get in trouble if we don't. Plus, I've got actual _work_ to do, thank you very much!" the elder replied, sighing a bit too dramatically as he stood from his seated position, lending a hand to his brother to rise as well._

_"Mmm, fine..." the boy grumbled, taking the support offered to him._

_As they began the walk back to their home, Alfred took one last glance behind him at the vast expanse of night sky. Out of the corner of his vision, he could have sworn he saw a shooting star whiz past._

* * *

"Al, just tell me what's wrong!" Arthur insisted, trailing behind the taller man as they made their way home from school. They rarely took the bus, preferring to walk and enjoy the scenery as opposed to sitting in a cramped, loud bus full of aggressive jocks and screaming girls. Today, however, Alfred was not taking his time; rather, he was strolling along at as fast a pace as possible without full-on running all the way to their destination. This, along with his refusal to speak, signaled something was very wrong with the blond.

"Nothing. Just wanna get home. 'M hungry," Alfred replied quickly, not turning to face the other as he continued his fast pace. If he could just get home... if he could just get home, he could lock himself in his room with his computer and his books. He wouldn't have to worry about being made fun of when there was no one around to see him.

"You're hungry all the time. Just talk to me, okay? You can't just keep running away from everything like this," he continued, determined to get Alfred to open up. Ever since the 10th grade, he had been withdrawing further and further from the world, choosing to hide away in his room with his hobbies. The whole family was worried about him, yet no one could get him to explain. It frustrated Arthur that his brother wouldn't even talk to his own family, and he was aiming to change that.

"There's nothing to say! Jus' had a bad day, 's all..." he mumbled the last part, though Arthur could hear it just fine. Had a bad day? But he had seemed so energetic this morning... what had happened today during school? He went to press further, however he trailed off once he realized their house was now in view. Looks like he wasn't able to get anything today, either.

As soon as the brothers walked into their home, Alfred rushed past their mother and upstairs, the sound of his bedroom door closing echoing throughout the small space. Arthur simply sighed, removing his jacket and hanging it up neatly in the small coat closet to the right of the front door. He turned to his mother, who had her gaze fixated on the staircase her son had just ascended, her expression somber. Gently, Arthur placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turned to him slowly, her eyes full of questions. _'Why is he so sad?' 'Why won't he talk to us?' 'What did I do wrong?' _but her son shook his head slowly, a sad smile on his face. "It's not your fault, mum. You've always been supportive of Alfred, and he knows it."

Her head dipped towards the ground again, her long, faded blonde hair draping down and hiding her face from view. In a weak, slightly trembling voice, she spoke to her oldest son without looking up towards him. "So why is he keeping all this to himself? Why won't he let us know what's wrong so we can help him? I don't understand," she muttered, Arthur beginning to fear she would begin crying. With another sigh, he reassured his mother as best he could, leading her over to the couch in their living room and providing her with some freshly-brewed tea. He was luckily able to lighten her mood by conversing about random subjects, though an air of melancholy seemed to hang over the occupants of the home. _'I don't understand, either. Alfred, just what are you doing?'_

* * *

Finally, some peace and quiet. As soon as the lock clicked behind him, Alfred flung his backpack and jacket haphazardly onto his bed, continuing around it over to his desk on the opposite wall. There, he had everything he needed to relax and forget about his stress; his computer, full of games and endless entertainment, his books, which he had read cover to cover many times yet still managed to fascinate him, and finally, his collection of various rocks, fossils, and other miscellaneous archaeological items. He could stare at his findings for hours on end, marveling the mystery and history behind each piece.

Come nightfall, he would be able to go stargazing, as he usually does when he has time to spare. Ever since he was young, the stars provided a sort of comfort. He never felt truly alone when laying under the twinkling night sky. It was as if all those stars were planets just like Earth, and their inhabitants were looking back at Earth as just another dot in the inky black sky. It made him feel small, but he didn't mind. He wanted attention directed away from him, after all. It would be nice to simply fit into the background with all the other stars. Like one infinite family floating together in space.

Without realizing it, tears had begun to form in his eyes and were trickling slowly down his cheek. With a melancholy sigh, he wiped his face on the sleeve of his shirt. Thinking so deeply made his heart hurt too much, and his mind tired and fuzzy. Maybe he could take a nap until nighttime? It would mean missing dinner with Arthur and his mother, but he figured he would only serve to worsen their moods if he were around. Lately, they had seemed so worried about his sudden depressed mood.

He felt so horribly guilty. A sharp pang in his chest brought more tears to form at the corners of his eyes. They were so concerned for him; they loved him and wanted him to be happy. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get rid of these horrible feelings. He couldn't be happy, even when he spent time with them. It's all his fault that they're so sad now, if he could just quit being so weak...

He stood once more from his desk, walking over to his bed and pushing his belongings onto the floor with a dull thud. Once the bed was clear, he removed his school clothes and put on a simple undershirt, crawling under the inviting covers with a contented sigh. He could hear his mother and Arthur having a conversation downstairs, though their words were too muffled to make heads or tails of. _They're probably talking about me_, he thought. _Talking about how much of a burden I am to them. About how they're sick of dealing with a son and brother who isolates himself from his own family. _

No. No, he shouldn't think that way about them. They loved him, they told him that every day, so why should he doubt their words? If he was truly a burden, then the fault came upon himself, not them. They were kind people, and although he and Arthur got into fights sometimes, he loved his brother dearly and felt so awful that he wasn't able to remain the happy and optimistic person he had been as a child. That fact showed as well; while Alfred's ocean blue eyes had dulled to a sort of gray-ish color in recent weeks, Arthur had maintained the same vibrant shade of forest green all these years. It was a bit funny, Alfred had thought, that nothing on his brother seemed to match. While the older's shaggy hair was a soft sandy blond, his eyebrows were a deep brown, nearly black, and were almost alarmingly thick. With his pale skin, the freckles that dotted his cheeks, nose, and forehead became much bolder in contrast, standing out on his flushed and grumpy face. He had teased Arthur about how he looked like some sort of mutt of different nationalities, but in reality, he truly envied his sibling. Despite seeming humorous, his features were truly unique. He could draw attention from himself; the good kind of attention that makes you blush and your heart swell.

Alfred wasn't unique in the slightest. At least in his mind he wasn't. Golden blond hair and eyes the same color as the sky in midday; such a cliche American appearance. Nothing about him looked interesting, nothing about him intrigued or impressed people. He was taller than average for his age, he had partial-framed gray metal glasses, he wore a faded Air Force bomber jacket that he had inherited from his late father; to him, there seemed to be little depth to his personality. His mother often commented on how handsome he looked, though he never took her seriously. A mother always thinks her children look beautiful, no matter what. Even if she thought he was plain, she had too kind of a heart to comment.

He was such a hypocrite. He wanted to blend in, yet he wanted to be unique. He wanted honesty, yet he wanted unconditional kindness and acceptance. He thought of himself as unoriginal, yet his originality was the reason he was excluded and bullied by others.

Glancing at his clock once more to make sure he had enough time for a quick nap, Alfred rolled onto his side and wrapped himself tightly in the blankets' warmth. It was a bit childish to feel such sanctuary in his own bed, but at this point he was too tired to hate himself. His eyes slid shut, and with mind blank, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The evening air was cool, yet calm, leaving a sense of calm hanging over the lonely hillside. With no trees to obstruct his view, Alfred had always loved this spot for stargazing. The damp grass was always left to grow freely, making a lush seat for long hours of sitting and staring at the sky. He had meant to bring his telescope with him, but if he did, his family would know where he was going. He didn't want them to try and follow along; he really needed to be alone with the stars right now. He could talk about all his worries to possible trillions of lifeforms millions of light years away, and they would listen to every word and watch over him in his times of sadness.

Well, maybe that's being a bit _too_ poetic. He's found that with depression comes deep thinking, which tends to bring upon more philosophical and artistic ideas. What is the meaning of life? While most his age would simply laugh or shrug, a silent 'nobody knows, why do you think I would?' passing between them, people who are more depressed tend to linger on the thought, perhaps a bit too long. Alfred was no different; physical distractions were all he had keeping him from completely drowning in his own mind. Talking helped, as he had to focus more on the action itself than the thoughts he was communicating, though a trustworthy person to tell such thoughts to was hard to come by these days. Although his family were indeed trustworthy people, Alfred simply wouldn't want to cause them any trouble. More than that, he's afraid of bringing them down with him.

Bringing them down. He remembered a time, not too long ago, where Arthur had said much the same thing to him. His own brother, whom he admired so much, confessed to him that he worried his pessimism and sarcasm would wash away Alfred's cheer. It hurt, to realize someone you loved felt such painful things all this time. Now, his mother and brother were hurting for him, too. All because he couldn't handle himself and his emotions like most people should be capable of.

_"Sweetie, you know you can invite some friends over if you want!"_ his mother had said to him one sunny Saturday afternoon. He didn't have the heart to tell her he didn't _have_ any friends. Well, acquaintances, sure, but there was no one he really felt a special connection towards. He sometimes got the opportunity to speak to an upperclassman, Ivan, when they happened to be in the school library at the same time. He seemed strange and creepy at first, though Alfred was most intrigued by their shared love of outer space. Plus, he turned out to be quite the friendly person, albeit having issues communicating with others. At least he had someone to talk to about his passion, and for that alone, he was thankful.

He had lost contact with any friends he had when he was young, he realized. All those people that he called friends now barely spared a passing glance in the hall. Would his life be any different now had he made the effort to talk to them? Though, as they grew older, and their personalities continued to develop, he really didn't think he would've kept the friendships going anyways. Maybe he was just being too picky.

All of this he had recounted to the starry sky above, his voice remaining steady and low the entire way through. Talking about these emotional thoughts seemed to eliminate the emotion aspect, so he had little trouble getting the words to come out naturally. Like a river, the words came flowing from his mind to his mouth and out into the stillness of late evening fog, echoing slightly in the empty space he sat in. The trees in the small forest to the right of the hill swayed ever so slightly in the gentle breeze, and the pond to its left glistened with the light of the moon.

As Alfred gazed distantly into the clear water below, the stars rippling in their reflections, a swift movement caught his eye. Instinctively, he glanced towards his left, not noticing anything particularly strange. But, there was this feeling...

He looked up.

High in the sky above, a sparkling shooting star was making its way across the atmosphere, leaving a glowing trail in its wake. Alfred's eyes grew large, and he quickly stood from his seated position to stare in wonderment. Never before had he seen a fireball so bright. Every once in a while, a blue ball of light was pulled in by Earth's gravity and burned away in the atmosphere, creating quite the magical sight. This one, it seemed, was much larger than the small meteoroids that he had witnessed before. In fact, it seemed a bit _too_ large. Curiosity turned to slight panic as Alfred processed what information he knew of shooting stars. They were usually meteors that burned up from the heat produced by entering Earth's atmosphere at high velocities, the majority never made it to the ground because they burned up completely in the sky, the ones that do make it are leftover bits of whatever didn't incinerate...

Something as big as this won't burn away before it hits the ground.

If even possible, his eyes grew even wider, and he immediately turned and ran the rest of the way up the hillside. _'Oh god, this thing is really going to crash.'_

With a surprised shriek, he threw his arms up to shield his face from the bright light of the flaming rock. Moments later, a loud boom arose from the forest nearby, the ground shaking underneath him. A horde of crows took flight from the surrounding trees, crying out loudly as they fled from the sudden danger. Several moments passed where Alfred simply remained in the same spot, frozen as his mind caught up with what had just occurred in front of him.

A humongous object from outer space just came crashing down and landed right in front of him.

For the first time in months, he smiled. Lowering his arms slowly, he raised his head to see the area in which the object fell, located about a 5 minute walk from where he stood. It was as if the stars had truly heard his pleas, and sent to him a little something to brighten his mood, even if only temporarily. As the adrenaline rushed through his body, Alfred let out a loud whoop as he raced down the hill and across the calming field that surrounded the small gathering of trees. The opportunity to see something like this... what are the chances that this all happened to him?

Bursting through tangled branches, he made his way blindly in the direction he could only hope was towards the fallen star. As he drew nearer, he could hear what sounded like steam rising into the chilly air. A feint light grew brighter in intensity as he took clumsy steps deeper into the woods. Finally, with a single swipe of his arm, he pushed the remaining branches aside and found himself face to face with...

...

Well, it certainly wasn't a rock, that's for sure.

What lay partially buried in the clearing before him was a large oval-shaped capsule, seemingly made of a type of metal. Heat continued to rise from the object, having apparently been damaged little by the impact at all.

In a confused, terrified, over-joyed state, Alfred made careful steps towards the foreign container, his imagination running wild. What is this thing, and where did it come from? What, if anything, could possibly be inside of it? As he approached, he noticed how the surrounding air grew much warmer, yet the maybe-metal thing in front of him gave off a cool breeze of its own. Once close enough, he reached out a tentative hand towards the dull surface, shock apparent on his face when his hand met a pleasing temperature that was only barely warm to his touch. How could such a thing be possible?

_Click_

Alfred stumbled backwards in surprise as the capsule before him began to move. Its surface, he could see, had multiple underlying layers, and they all twisted and turned in different directions as if entering some sort of code with their movements. He scrambled backwards, unsure of what was even happening anymore at this point. _There weren't any books on astronomy that told me what to do in a situation like this!_

As he watched, transfixed, a small contraption rose from the center of the object, uncurling and opening to reveal what looked like a small monitor of some kind. Silence ensued as the maybe-metal panels came to a halt, and Alfred stared open-mouthed at the foreign device. Slowly, smoothly, it began to move. Spinning around like it was analyzing its surroundings, taking in everything there was to see, before finally landing on Alfred's huddled form a few yards away. He let out a quiet yelp as the monitor then began to extend itself towards him, and he briefly worried this was really some sort of sci-fi horror movie gone wrong. The thing stopped about a foot from his face, remaining motionless for a few moments before its monitor lit up to reveal a message.

"Species: Human. Tongue: English. Land: America. Heart: Good.  
Subject is deemed sufficient for objective completion.

We beg of you, human. Care for the son of our people."

"...Wha?" he stuttered aloud, confusion clearly etched on his face. What the hell was going on here? Objective completion? Son of our people? Yep, this is definitely a cheesy alien movie for sure now. Before he could articulate his concern, the machine whirred to life once more, the monitor fading and retracting back inside of the container. Alfred stood, racing after the computer and reaching out to stop it, hopeful to receive more information from whatever this thing really was. But before he could even reach it, the monitor had folded and tucked itself away, and the container split into two horizontal sections. A dull light seeped out through the crack from within, and with a stutter and some more steam, the top half of the compartment rose and drew back, allowing Alfred to gain access to its contents.

The contents which just so happened to consist solely of a strangely-dressed, delicate, mystifying young man.

A man with soft raven hair which framed his mature features, blue and gold robes wrapped intricately around his body from top to bottom. Ornate jewelry was draped elegantly over his head, dangling down to his shoulders. A weathered necklace, carved with an unknown crest, was wrapped securely around his neck. He seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, his chest rising and falling in regular intervals. Alfred stared, bewildered, at the strange man before him. A man dressed in otherworldly clothing, sleeping inside of a sophisticated metal capsule that fell from outer space.

_How the hell am I supposed to explain this to mom...?_


	2. Unidentified Flying Prince

**((Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay on this chapter, school really has a way of sapping the energy out of you. But now, I'm FINALLY on summer break, so hopefully I can make some updates to this story more frequently! This chapter doesn't contain as much action as the first, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! I'm not too great at writing filler content, but I try to make my chapters a decent length. Maybe I'll be able to write more once the story progresses a bit further~))**

* * *

Well, this is quite the strange predicament Alfred has found himself in. His day had gone pretty sour early on, and he had escaped to his childhood hangout to relax and ease his nerves. Just a nice, peaceful evening of stargazing and letting go of his stress; at least, that was what he had planned. Now, here he was, walking slowly back to his home, the sleeping body of a prince from another planet held limply in his arms. The man wasn't too heavy, and Alfred fortunately had the luxury of natural strength, so carrying this alien boy wasn't overly difficult. However, there was no way he could simply stroll through the town holding a strangely-dressed, unconscious person with him. Since he wasn't looking to get arrested anytime soon, the blond simply decided to walk along the forest's edge until he reached his backyard; hopefully, he could then slip into his home unnoticed and make it to his room before his family saw him.

Ah, right. His family. Would they ever even believe him if he were to tell the truth about what happened? Alfred frowned at the thought; no, they would likely think him insane for dreaming up such a fantastical story. But really, how else could he explain why he now held this stranger in his arms? He couldn't say he was a friend, as Arthur knew everyone that Alfred interacted with and would know he was lying. Saying he had found this man injured outside somewhere would only result in an ambulance being called, and if this person truly was an alien, he didn't want them being snatched up by the government or anything like that. The paramedics would know something wasn't right if they couldn't find any information on a patient in the database, plus he didn't seem to have any other means of identification on his person.

Alfred came to the conclusion that he would just have to make it to his room without being spotted at all. If he were to get caught by someone, improvising would have to suffice, as his mind was currently full of too many questions to think of a good excuse beforehand. He felt pretty guilty about lying to Arthur and their mother again, but it was the only option he had at the moment. Perhaps, when this man finally woke up, he would be able to provide a good explanation, as well as answer some of the mysteries that still plagued Alfred's thoughts. Though, there was no guarantee that this person would even be cooperative, or even speak English for that matter. The small machine that had addressed him earlier on had been able to use his language, so with some luck, this alien would be able to as well. Things would be pretty awkward if they were to wake up and not be able to understand a word that anyone said.

Not only did Alfred have to wonder what this prince's planet was like, but he was also curious as to the man himself. What is his personality like? What kinds of things would he do for fun on a foreign planet? Does he have family, friends, or even enemies? Strangely enough, Alfred also found himself simply anticipating the little things, like what his voice would sound like, or the color of his eyes. As he could see him now, the prince seemed to have the appearance of someone from Eastern Asia, although there were some traits that gave him a more ethereal aura. His silky raven-black hair was cut neatly, his bangs framing his face like it were a portrait. His skin seemed almost worryingly pale, however along with this, he seemed to almost glow in the light of the moon above them. His features appeared more feminine than masculine, yet despite the softness of his cheeks and angular shape of his jawline, he maintained a look of maturity and regality, strangely befitting of supposed royalty. This was also evident in the frame of his smaller body, having a thin build yet rather muscular, giving the impression that he perhaps trained to improve his strength. But the most bizarre fact of all about this extraterrestrial man was that he looked unmistakably human in every way, shape, and form. Nothing but his otherworldly attire gave indication of his foreign origins.

If only he was wearing normal-looking clothing, he could really pass off as an acquaintance of his or something. Though it wasn't like Alfred could really get him a change of clothes now... especially not when the smaller male was unconscious and couldn't change himself. He had to admit though, the robes that were wrapped elegantly around the man's body were very well-made, their intricate design giving the impression that it was even hand-made. It felt like a waste to get rid of the outfit when it looked so luxurious, and likely cost a fortune... if their planet even had a form of currency, anyways.

Before he knew it, Alfred had come within several yards of his back door. The lights inside were dimmed, and it seemed that there was no one around in the kitchen at the moment. With some luck, he would be able to safely make it to his bedroom without catching the attention of his family. As he approached, his suspicions were confirmed; the kitchen and adjoining dining area were empty, dinner having been cleaned up a while ago at this point. With a rather exaggerated sigh of relief, Alfred carefully shifted the smaller person in his arms so that he could reach a hand out and open the glass sliding door leading into his home. Although stumbling a bit and nearly dropping the man once or twice, he was finally able to slide the door over so there was a gap wide enough for him to make it through. Being as silent as physically possible, Alfred tip-toed into his kitchen, sliding the door closed once again behind him with his foot. He stood there for a few moments, listening for any sounds that could alert to someone approaching. When his ears were met with a tranquil chirping and the wind whooshing through the trees, he deemed it safe to begin making his way towards the staircase.

This would be the most risky area for him to make it through. On the stairwell, there is nowhere for him to hide. Were someone coming down the stairs as he was climbing up, there was no way he would be able to escape the inevitable confrontation. A rather awkward one at that, considering the fact he had sneaked into his own house carrying an unconscious stranger wearing what probably looked like expensive cosplay. As such, Alfred became increasingly paranoid as he neared the imposing staircase next to the living room. So far, he hadn't heard any movement from upstairs, so with some hope, everyone would already be fast asleep in bed. He quickened his pace as the carpeted flooring softened his footsteps, anxiety rising up in his chest as he came closer and closer to his destination. It was the home stretch now; all he had to do was make it to the second floor undetected, and the door to his room would be directly on the right.

Making doubly sure to place his feet at the side of each stair to minimize any creaking, Alfred held his breath as he made the ascent he'd been dreading all this time. The feint sounds of a TV could be heard, which signaled that his mother was indeed in her room and hopefully sleeping soundly. Halfway up the trek, he had the strong urge to simply sprint the rest of the way up and get into his room as soon as possible. Despite the noise it would make, his fear was starting to get the better of him, his breathing shallow and quick as his dull blue eyes frantically scanned the hallway above for any movement. With some effort, however, Alfred was able to suppress these urges long enough to reach the final step, a wave of relief washing over him as he reached level flooring. Without a second thought, he once again shifted the limp alien boy to the side to free a single hand, clasping the cool metal of the doorknob and managing to turn it enough to open the door despite the amount of sweat coating his palm. Swiftly, and with a final look behind him to confirm he had not been spotted, he slipped into his dark bedroom and softly closed the door behind him with a barely-audible _click_.

* * *

_Jesus Christ almighty that was stressful..._

Alfred immediately trudged over to his bed and practically dropped the small man onto the mattress, suddenly aware of how strained his muscles had become. Letting out a deep breath, he slumped down next to the bedside, burying his head in his hands as he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Honestly, thinking back to the night's events made his head spin. All he had wanted was some quiet time to himself, and he ended up with a meteor and a supposed alien prince from a dead planet. _Maybe I never actually woke up from that nap yet?_

As several minutes passed in silence, the still air of night hanging in the room like a cover, Alfred's head rose slowly as his mind finally caught up to his situation. He had managed to return to his bedroom unnoticed, but what was he to do now? The night wouldn't last forever; in just a few short hours, the sun would rise above the horizon, and the other two occupants of the house would soon follow. Though his privacy was typically respected, he just couldn't be sure if any one of them could stumble in and notice the strange boy laying in Alfred's bed. It wasn't like he could simply stuff him inside the closet! His only hope seemed to lie in this stranger somehow waking up before sunrise. If he were conscious, then Alfred could hopefully have some questions answered, and he would be able to change into something less attention-grabbing in order to blend in more effectively.

Of course, there was always the chance that things would not go as smoothly as Alfred imagined. For all he knew, the boy may totally freak out and start screaming the moment he realized that he wasn't in his own home. Well, he couldn't really blame the poor guy, but at this point Alfred was simply too tired to worry about the feelings of others. If he were lucky, the little alien would be one of those intelligent, refined ones, like the ones you see leading advanced civilizations in scy-fi movies. Which seemed likely, considering the whole monarchy and high-tech-escape-pod thing.

Before he knew it, Alfred's eyelids had begun to slowly slide shut, his body now succumbing to the exhaustion of the night's events. Eventually, his mind was too fuzzy to keep his thoughts ordered, and soon after he had fallen fast asleep, slumped awkwardly against the bed frame as the night drew to a close and dawn took its place. No nightmares to plague his mind, no joyful dreams to leave emptiness in his heart come morning, he slept silently and without disruption, until a sudden movement brought him gradually back into the waking world. Still groggy from his late-night expedition, Alfred shook his head slightly in disapproval, urging himself to drift back into sweet sleep, before he felt that same movement against his left shoulder. Believing it to be his mother nudging him awake, he managed to mutter a slurred "'m not ready, mom...," and moved his right hand up to remove the offending hand.

It was then that he was met with something he had not been expecting. The cold twinge of metal met his skin, sending a slight shock down his spine. He had never before known his mother to be the type to wear much jewelry save her wedding band, though the hand placed gingerly atop his shoulder was most definitely the right hand. Now, Alfred wasn't claiming to be an expert on wedding tradition, but he was pretty damn sure that the wedding ring was supposed to be situated on the left hand. With a sense of confusion and slight tension, Alfred slowly moved to face where he supposed the stranger's head would be, before slowly opening his hazy eyes to meet the pair belonging to this intruder.

What he saw caught him completely off-guard, and he nearly bounced back with a breathy yelp as he came face-to-face with an all-too-familiar man. The prince himself stood before Alfred's startled figure, his deep chocolate eyes full of intrigue and an unmistakable hint of amusement. The sun had already begun to ascend into the morning sky, a gentle stream of light filtering through the curtains drawn over his bedroom window; it seemed that the extraterrestrial man managed to wake up before even Alfred did. After managing to still his frenzied heart, he slowly relaxed his muscles and rose to stand before the curious little prince. However, before he even managed to open his mouth to speak, the smaller of the two raised his voice, once again offering the blond another surprise. "Ah... hello. Are you alright...?"

_Damn that's a deep voice for such a small dude. _"Uh, yeah, I-I'm fine! Y-you just kinda startled me there...," Alfred stuttered, now completely aware of the young man standing awkwardly in front of him. The prince looked to be mature, even for his age (whatever that might be), yet he noticed confusion and worry etched into the other's subtle features. The blond noticed then that the man was adorned lavishly in jewelry, several thin rings lining a few fingers on each hand. Despite the exotic nature of his apparel, he managed to appear elegant, even as he stood there and lightly fiddled with the soft fabric of his pants as he processed this new situation.

After several minutes passed in tense silence, Alfred let out a breath and sat back down on the edge of his bed, patting the space next to him as to signal the smaller male to join him. A slight moment of hesitation and much fidgeting later, Alfred was comfortably seated next to this otherworldly stranger. He honestly began to feel quite bad for the other; from where he was seated, Alfred could clearly see how much the poor guy was sweating and shaking, his posture rigid and anxious. _Come on, say something! Anything! Don't just sit there and make it worse!_

"S-so, uh...," he managed to start, catching the prince's attention, "my name is Alfred! I h-hope I didn't scare you just then or anything. Uhm, could you tell me your name...?"

"...Kiku. It is... nice to meet you, Alfred."

* * *

Honestly, what was that kid's deal? What does he have against communicating with his family? It just doesn't make any sense. Does he just _want_ to suffer alone?

Arthur huffed in frustration as he sat at his desk, homework forgotten as he attempted to figure out his brother's odd behavior. Alfred used to be such a bright and happy person... though lately, his demeanor had changed drastically. He was barely even the same person anymore! What Arthur didn't understand was that Alfred didn't reach out to anyone for help, even when his family asked him about it first. He kept doing whatever it took to avoid confrontation, and frankly it was getting rather infuriating. Their poor mother was worried sick about her son, yet no one could get him to open up about anything. It felt like their whole family was slowly falling apart...

Finally, Arthur's annoyance had hit its peak, and he slammed his hands down on the desk as he rose from his chair. How _dare_ he try and hide something so important from his loved ones! Doesn't he know how worried they are for him? Can't he see how depressed their mother has become? Keeping all his feelings bottled up wouldn't benefit anyone!

Of course, their little family was never perfect in the first place. Despite their usual friendliness with one another, him and Alfred had gotten into some rather nasty fights in their past, the heart-wrenching kind that leaves a sort of scar on your otherwise pleasant family memories. Even so, Arthur has never held ill feelings towards his younger brother, and seeing him so depressed has left him feeling anxious for the taller boy. Although he has tried to figure out what could have caused Alfred to act so differently, he has come up empty-handed. They shared many classes, so he knew that Alfred wasn't failing any of his subjects. Though some do tease him, it didn't seem as though there were any particularly persistent bullies bothering him either.

Arthur paused mid-pace as an idea came to him. Alfred was kind to people, yet he didn't really have any friends. Perhaps... yes, that's it! His tensed, bushy eyebrows finally relaxed as this realization hit him. Alfred was simply lonely! No wonder he was reluctant to talk to family about it; he would likely be embarrassed to admit he had trouble finding a friend, and he wouldn't want to make them feel guilty about his loneliness. He had always been a considerate young man, after all.

Now the question remained: what does he do with this information? Should he confront Alfred with his suspicions, or would that only push him further away? Should he do something about this in secret, leaving Alfred to continue his isolated suffering? Was Arthur even capable of handling this situation at all? There were so many ways that things could go wrong, and he truly wanted to help his brother become his true self again... if he failed, he could risk losing that close familial relationship. But he couldn't just sit there and do nothing!

With a grunt, Arthur flopped down on his bed and covered his face with hands, which had begun to sweat with his rising anxiety. If only Alfred could just open up... if only he would start thinking of himself before other people... if only-

_Creak... creak... creak..._

His thoughts were left interrupted as the soft shifting of wooden floorboards could be heard from outside Arthur's room. The all-too-familiar sounds of someone making their way up the carpeted stairway out in the hall. Had Alfred finally returned from his nightly walk? _I could talk to him now, while mom isn't around to hear... maybe he would open up to me if it were just the two of us!_

Once more, Arthur propped himself up from his resting position, standing and making his way quietly over to his door, trying to avoid making any sudden movements and creating too much sound. He pressed his ear against the cool wooden door, listening to confirm the owner of the footsteps. It seemed they were travelling rather slowly, the creaking making its way closer to the top step in a careful manner. Alfred was usually rather loud as he tromped around the household; he simply didn't pay any mind to the disturbances caused by his heavy footsteps. But their mother should be asleep in her room, as the gentle murmur of some midnight reality show was just barely audible from the master bedroom. Strange... maybe Alfred was actually being mindful of his usual ruckus and trying not to disturb his sleeping relatives? _Maybe his change in attitude isn't completely bad..._

Wiping his clammy palms on his pants, he reached out and gripped the doorknob, gently turning until a feint _click _was felt in the lock. Slowly, silently, he pulled the door towards him, opening up into the dark hallway on the other side. A dim ray of light poured out into the inky blackness, illuminating his surroundings enough to allow him to slip out into the corridor without tripping over himself in the process. The creaking had since ceased, and Arthur figured the blond must have made it to his room already. So he began to make his way towards the younger's room, using his hands to feel along the barren walls and avoid running into any stray furniture. Once reaching the corner of the hall, he turned to his right, seeing that the stairway was indeed empty. Behind him, a commercial could be heard playing from their mother's TV set, a clear sign that she was still asleep. Satisfied knowing that mom wouldn't pop out of nowhere and scare him in his journey, Arthur continued on to the doorway to Alfred's room, just to his left up ahead.

When he finally reached the cold metal handle of Alfred's door, he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Even though this had been his home for many years, he still felt rather uneasy wandering around in the dark. Hopefully, Alfred really will be there, and awake at that. Of course, he still had no idea what to say to him, but he could just make it up as he went along, right? He tended to do that well enough with AP English essays, anyways. But he had a feeling he would have the right words to say when he spoke to Alfred face-to-face, and hopefully his brother would be in an approachable mood and willing to listen to what Arthur had to say. So, with his anxiety reaching its peak, he began to turn the handle, pausing at every tiny squeak of metal, careful to be as subtle as possible so as not to startle the other. Having turned it completely, he then began to gently push the door open, creating a small crack just barely large enough to see through.

Forest-green eyes drew closer to the opening, squinting in the dim light beyond the doorway in order to see into the room. After failing to locate Alfred, he pushed the door open just a bit more before scanning the room once more. Finally, his eyes landed on a lump perched against the side of the bed. At first, he had mistaken it as being Alfred's backpack, though as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, he could make out tufts of messy blond hair and the shine of a beat-up leather jacket. _So he fell asleep before he could even get into bed...? Must have had a rather exhausting night..._

Shoulders drooping slightly at the loss of brotherly bonding time, Arthur began to close the bedroom door once more when something caught his eye. A single light shone in the corner of his vision, startling him. The light seemed to be coming from Alfred's bed... _it could just be the light reflecting off of his glasses, though. _But upon closer inspection, a larger form began to take shape. A larger form that appeared to be shaped like a human. A human adorned with jewelry so pristine that they reflected even the smallest amounts of light, the rays making dots in Arthur's vision. His eyes widened and his face grew pale, as he recognized that he did not know this person at all. _Maybe he really does have a friend after all..._

He didn't want to see this any longer. He shut the door completely, no longer caring so much about the noise. Without hesitation, he walked swiftly back to his own room, shutting the door behind him and sitting on the edge of his bed. He had never known his brother to hide secrets like this from anyone, least of all his own family! What the _hell_ was he thinking, sneaking some stranger into his room in the middle of the night!? Where did he even find this person, anyways! They clearly didn't attend their school, as Arthur would be able to recognize them in that case. He had never seen Alfred hang around with anyone outside of school either. Unless...

What was he really doing when he left the house at night? Was he really only going stargazing? Was he meeting up with this person?

_There's more that I don't know about Alfred than I thought..._


End file.
